Feed-water regulator.



H. McCABE.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1908.

Patented July 27, 1915.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. McCABE.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION m n OCT. 12. 1908.

Patented July 27, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- COLUMBIA FLANOURAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. C.

H. McCABE;

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

4 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

R z I r v f h 41 w 15%? k 10 JIIII 11 ll!!! 45! I m 44 W O 45 14 II'ILkG Wfifizwaw J7ZWCZ57ZZ0Z COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu H. McCABE.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 12. 1908.

Patented July 27, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

4\ l-lgmammm Wm W 11/ III/7i $4M WM 5% v COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH McOABE, or LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS,

FEED-WATER REGULATOR. 7

Application filed October 12, 1908. Serial No. 457,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH MOCABE, citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county ofEssex'and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in feed water regulators for boilers.

The object of the present invention is to produce a feed water regulatorwhich is particularly adapted to regulate the sup ply of water to boilers in which the water level fluctuates comparatively rapidly.

r 1 The present invention is-a reorganization and an improvement-on the construction illustrated in the applications filed by the undersigned May 11, 1908, Serial No.432,298, and April 16, 1908, Serial No. 427,339..

a The invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims. I I I w In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the balanced lever cut through two of its pipes; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the supply valve; Fig. 4c is a sectional elevation of the controlling-valve and part of the ball lever; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the, ball lever casting; and Fig.6 is a sectional view I through the controlling valve and the lever supporting trunnions. I

The general operation of the invention is as follows :VVhen the water in theboiler falls below a certain level, it 'per mits the steam to flow through a pipe which is openedby the drop of the water in the water column below the "end of the'pipe, and the steam flows through a trunnioninto a balanced lever having at one end a weight and at the other end a large hollow ball. Normally, the ball is filled with water which 'overbalances the Weight upon the other end of the lever. When the steam flows into the ball and displaces the water therein, the weight on the other end of the; balanced lever overbalances the'ball and the weight drops and thereupon opens 'a controlling valve and'allows steam-to flow through to a Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented July2'7, 1915.

supplyyalve ofa water-supplying means for supplying water to the boiler. The opening of the supply valve permits steam from the boiler to'flow throughto a steam pump which pumps. the water into the boiler, or permits water to flow from a hydrostatic pressure reservoir to the boiler.

When the level. of the-water in the boiler has been raisedabove the .endofthis pipe, thereby preventing accessof steam to the ball, the water'flowsinto the ball thereby causing it to overbalance the weight and to drop. This closes the controlling valve, shutting off: thesupply of steamto the supply valve and: at thesame time opens an exhaust valve allowing the pressure on the supply valve to be reduced, and the supply valve thereupon automatically closes, shut ting off the supply of steam or water.

' In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a Water column 1' is connected to the boiler by'a pipe 2 extending from the" top of the Water column to the steam space in the boiler, and by apipe' 3'ifrom the lower end of the watercolumn to the boiler'below thewater level. The lower end of the water V column normally extends below the lowest level of the water in the boiler. r1 controllingvalve isconnected; to the upperor steam portion of the water column I by'a p1pe4 extending upwardly to-a valve 51 Y casing 5, which is laterally supported by *a brace 6 secured to the pipe 2. i Within the casing 5 is a va'lveYchamber 7 having an outlet-8' connected. toia supply valve, and

the supply of'steamfrom the pipe 4 to the supply valve is controlled by a controlling valve 9 mounted ,on the lower end of a stem 10 which passes through an exhaust chamberll having an outlet orexhaust12. This stem 10 is slotted just above the controlling valve to permit the steam to escape from the. valve chamber into the exhaust chamber when the controlling. valve 9 is closed. Upon theupper end of the stem lO is mounted a fork 13 pinned by a pin 14 to the projection 15 from the balllever casting 29, hereinafter referred to.? The hole inthe projection" 15 is elongated,as shown, to prevent cramping of the stem with oscillations of the ball lever. When the stem is pressed downwardly, the controlling valve 9 is thereby closed andwhen the'stem' is the controlling valve 9 is opened.

The operation of the controlling valveis regulatediby a balanced leveri From the pulled up valve casing 5 extends upwardly a yoke 16, the ends 17 and 18 of which are hollow and form bearings for two hollow trunnions '19 and 20 respectively. A pipe 21 extends from the water column at the criticalline to the hollow end 17 of the yoke. This pipe 21 is of restricted cross-sectional area, the purpose of which will hereinafter :be explained. Connection is had between the lower portion of the watercolumn and tl1e other endf18 of the yoke through a pipe .22 "which extends from thelower end of the water column through the top jofa closed well or cooling vessel 50 andthrou'gh a pipe 51whichextends ctrom the end 18 of the yoke to the bottom of said well. The purpose of placingithewelliorcooling vessel50 in the waterconducting connection between the lower portion of the water column and the end 18 of the yoke will be hereinafter explained. The pipes at, 21,22and 51 are all controlled by ordinary valves 23 which are normally open and-should never be cl'osed except'when it maybe necessary to make repairs. The ends of the trunni'ons lying within the hollow ends of the *yoke are held steam-tight by means of packing 2 1 compressed by ported sglands 25 operated by hand-wheels 26 on =stems 27 which screw into the ends of the yoke'ends 17 :andrlS-andare held by check nuts 28. The other ends of the trunnions extend toward the center of the yoke and are threaded in order to engage threaded bores and thereby pivotally supportbe tween them a lever casting 29havingchambers 30 and 31 which are continuations respectively of the hollow trunnions 19 and 20. l hese chambers 30 and 31' {open respectively into two pipes 32 and33 which extend horizontally 'Ifrom the-casting 29 and enter a ball illrsupported by them,-the'pipe 326K- tcnding within th'eball nearly to the-top. On the oppositersideof the casting 29 is a horizontally extending rod 35 carrying a weight'36. The casting 29 with the rod and weight on one side and the pipes and ball on the other side, form a balanced lever pivotally mountedon the trunnions. When the ball is full of water, it overbala'nces the weight and retains the @lever in a horizontal position, and in thatposition the controlling valve 9 is pressed down and held closed, but

' when the ball is empty, the weight overbalances the lever and it is thereby caused to tip up, thereby pulling the controlling valve open.

"Fromlthe inletuS in the valve chamber 7 a pipe 38 extends to a-chamber 89 in a casis held tight by packing 4 -6 compressed by a gland 4:7. Underneath the piston is a helical spring l8, the lower end resting in a sarin socket and the u) er end en a in O D b O "the under side of the piston il which exerts feed wateror water supply valve 1-3, its

actuatingpistonil, the balanced lever, the controlling valve, and the connections between the several parts and the boiler, as described above, are constructed and arranged the same as shown and described in my application Serial'No. 432,298 except that the pipe 21, leading from the normal or critical level ofthe water in the boiler to the balanced lever, is made of restricted cross-sectional area, and the pipe connection 22 and 51, leading from .the balanced lever to 'a point in the boiler below the normal level of the water in the boiler, is provided with a well 50. In the operation-of the apparatus of said application Serial No. 32,298, it was found that sometimes, and more especially in 'faststeaming boilers, the fluctuations ,in the water "level in the boiler were so rapid and the temperature of the water supplied to the balanced lever so high, that-the latter' did not respond-with sutli cient alacrity to the fluctuations in the boiler in order to maintain as uniform a level as was desired. To increase the alacrity of operation of the apparatus,the pipe connection 22and 51 connecting with the water in the boiler below the normal level thereof, is' provided with a well 50, which aftords a reservoir for water'cons'idera'bly cooler than that in the boiler, which can lows-into the balanced lever-when the supply or" steam thereto is'cut oil by the rising of the water in the boiler above the critical level. In order to accentuate the increased sensitiveness of the apparatus, the connection be tween the boiler at the critical level and the balanced lever is reduced in cross-sectional area so that the low of water intov the balanced lever, by means of this restriction, is caused to be principally drawn from the reservoir 50, andfnot directly from the water in the boiler at the critical level, which is the place in the boiler where the water is at itshighest temperature. Each of these modifications contributes to increase the sensitiveness and rapidity of operation of the apparatus, the reservoir in the pipe connected with the boiler below the water level thereof by supplying cold water to the balanced lever. and the restriction of the cross-sectional area ofthe pipe 21 by compelling the water to flow from the reservoir into the balanced lever. r 1 V The storm of the reservoir or well is immateriahso long as it affords an amount of cooler water which will actquickly to condensethe steam in the balanced lever. .In

the illustrated embodiment of the present invention the reservoir or well 50 is separated from and situated below the gwater column 1. The heat is dissipatedby the well to the surrounding air. Since the well is connected to the column 1 belowthe water level, no steam can'enterthe well to supply the heat dissipated therefrom to the air. It is to be noted that the pipe 51 which leads the water from the cooling well 50v to the balanced lever, draws thel'water from the bottom or coolest part of the well. The re" striction of the area of the ipe connected with the boiler at the critical level may be secured either by reducing the size of the pipe or by partially closinga valve therein,

or by restricting anyportion of the passage-V way through the lever to the ball. Of course, any equivalent of this would be within the purview of the invention, as, for example, any restriction of the effective cross-sectional area as .by the interposition of barriers or the increasing of the fluctural resistance.

This device operates in detail as follows When the water in the boiler falls below the critical line it opens the end of the pipe 21 in the water column and permits steamto flow up through the pipe 21, through the hollow end 17 of the yoke 16, the trunnion 19, the chamber 30 of the lever casting 29,

Y and the pipe 32 into the ball 34, thereby displacing the water which flows out of the ball through the pipe 33, through the chamber 31 in the 'balanced casting 29, through the trunnion 20, through the end 18 of the yoke 16, through the pipe 51 into the well 50- and back into thewater columnthrough the pipe 22. With this displacement of the water in the ball by,steam, the weight 36:

lever and ball isshut off and the condensation of steam in these portions causes the water to flow up through the pipes 21 and 22, the trunnions '19 and 20, chambers 30 and 31, and pipes 32 and 33 into the ball 34. Since the pipe 21 is of restricted cross-sectional area,the water which flows into the ball to replace the condensed steam comes principally through the pipe 51. This water is drawn from the bottom of thecooling well 50 .and is considerably cooler than the ,.wa'ter in the boiler or the water column 1. When'this cooler water enters the balanced lever and ball 34, itacceleratesthe condensation of the steam therein, so that the ball 34 is filled comparativelyrapidly'with water. In this state, it overbalances the weight 36 and causes the balanced leverto swing again ,to a horizontal position thereby closing the controlling valvey9, and shutting 01f thesupply of steam from the pipe 4 to the supply valven At the same time, the steam in the chamber 39 1 and pipe 38 exhausts through the slots in the stem 10 to the exhaust chamber 11. This reduces the pressure in the. chamber 39 and the spring-48 lifts the piston 41 and thereby shuts off the supply of steam to the steam pump or the supplyof water from the hydrostatic pressure reservoir to the boiler, as the case may be.

. In'the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the pipe connection 21 to the balanced lever opens into the water column 7 1. at-the normal level; of the water therein, and the pipe connection 22 to the cooling well 50 opens into the water column 1 below the normal level ofthe wateritherein.v

It 'is evident, however, that the pipe-con nections to the balanced levenand to the H cooling well might open directly into the boiler at the normal level of the water thereinand'b'elowthe normal level of the watertherein respectively, and the apparatus lw'ould operate in substantially the same manner as the apparatus of the illustrated embodiment. Itcis, therefore, within the purview of the presentainvention to omit thewater 'column shown in the illustrated embodiment and to make the pipe connections directly to the boiler.

Theexpression a steam and water spac which is under boiler pressure as usedin the'claims is intended to define the space at the normal water level which is alter nately occupied by steam and water as the water line fluctuates, whether thisspace is m a water column as illustrated 1n the preferred embodimentof the present'invention, or in the boiler itself, or in any closed vessel connected with the boiler which is under boiler pressure and in which thewaterline f fluctuates with the water line of the boiler. The expression water space which 18 under boiler pressure is, intended to define a space which is below the water line of the boiler so as to be always occupied by water, whether this space is inthe lower part of a water column below the water line therein as in the illustratedembodiment of the in-- vention, or is in the boiler itself, or is in any reservoir connected with the boiler in which the water is under boiler pressure.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1is:

1. A feed water regulator foriboilers having, in combination, a water supply valve, an actuator therefor, a balanced hollow lever, connections :between the lever and the actuator operating to open-and close the supply valve with movements of the balanced lever, a closed cooling reservoir or well so situated that steam cannot enter the Well from theiboiler, a :pipe connection to the bal- =ancedlever-opening at the normal level of the water in the boiler :to a steam and water space which is under boiler pressure, a pipe connection to the well opening below the normal level of the water in Athe'boiler to a water space -which is under boiler pressure, and a plpeconnection between the well and the balanced lever, substantially .as described.

2. A water feed regulator for boilers having, in combination, a water supplying means, and means for controlling said water supplying'means, including a chamber norm ally filled with water, a pipe connection to the chamber opening at the normal level of the water inthe boiler to a steam and waterspace which is underboiler pressure, and -a. second pipe connection .to the chamber opening below the normal level of the water in-the boiler space. which is :under boiler pressure, said connections permitting steam to flow intothe chamber through the first pipe connection and displace the water therein when the water in the boiler drops below its :normal level, .said second pipe connection having provision :for reducing the temperature of the watcrfiowing through it to the-chamber so asto cause a rapid condensation of thesteani in-the chamber when the water level in the boilerrises v,to-cut ,ofi thesteam from the first connection, substantially as described.

- 3. A feed water regulator-for boilers, havinggwin combination, a water supply valve, anactuator therefor, a balanced hollow lever, and two connections to the balanced lever, one opening at the normal level of the water in theboiler to a steamand water space which is under boiler pressure, and the other opening below the normal level of the water in the boiler to a water space which is under boiler pressure, the first'connection being or" a restricted cross sectional area and the second connection having a cooling reservoir or well therein, substan tially as described. 7

a. A feed water regulator for boilers having, in combination, a water supply valve, an actuator therefor, a balanced hollow lever, connections between .the lever and :the

1 actuator operating to openrandclose the supply valve with'movements of the balanced lever, a closed cooling reservoir or well s1tuated below the normal level of the water 1n theiboiler, azpipe connection to the balanced levenopening at the :normal'level of-the water in the boiler to a steam and water space :avlnch is under Lbo1-ler pressure, a pipe connection tokthe well openingat a point below the normal level ofthe water in the boiler to the'boiler a cooling. reservoir or well, a-pipe connection between the balanced lever and .the water column atithe normal levelof the water in the column, a pipe connection between ithe well and .the water column at a :pointbelow the normal levelof the water in the water column anda pipe connection betweenithe balanced lever and the well, substantially:as described. I

fixAfeed water regulator for boilers having, in combination, a water supply valve, anactuator therefor, :a balanced hollow lerver, connections between the. lever and the actuator operating to-aopen and close the supply valve withrthe' movementszof the balanced lever, a water column, pipe connections between the water column and the ,boileriaboveand below the normal level of the waterfiin the boiler whereby the column i is filled partly with water and partly with steam, a cooling reservoir or well situated below l the water column, a pipe connection :betweenthe balanced lever and the water column at [the normal level of the water in the water column, a pipe connection between the bottom of the water column and the well,

andra pipe connection between the balanced lever and the bottom 'olthe well, substantially as" described.

27. A water feed regulator for boilers having, in combination, a" water supplying below itsnornral level, said second pipe con- I nection having provision for reducing the nection When the steam in the chamber is 10 temperature of the Water flowing through condensed, substantially as described.

the chamber so as to cause a rapid condensa- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, tion of the steam in the chamber When the in presence of two Witnesses. I Water level in the boiler rises to out OK the HUGH MCGABE steam from the first connection, and said first pipe connection being restricted so as Witnesses: to cause the Water to flow to said chamber EDWARD MGCABE, principally through the second pipe con- 7 WM. J. WHEATLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eaten-t5, Washington, D. G. I v 

